He just could not visualize the turquoise working. Their floors are painted white and they have wainscoting around the room which is dark wood. I tried to find kitchens that also have wood stain and white included in the photo working with the turquoise color:

Such talent! I do not have a fancy camera, it is a step between point and shoot and a DSRL camera. I just want to learn the basics so my photos will look better now and then consider moving up in cameras. I have tried to learn through books and online but it seems to get so complicated quickly when talking about f stops and exposure compensation! So I took an introduction to photography four week course and I thought I would share a few basic but great tips I learned:

Tip # 1:

Find your camera’s manual and read through it. I had lost mine, but was able to order a manual online. By reading through the book and playing with my camera, I found so many features that I never even knew about. Such as settings for taking pictures of fireworks, close-ups, sports, etc.

This basic step is very important if you want to learn what your camera can actually do!

Tip # 2

Lighting is very important in taking photos which we all know. But did you know where the lighting is coming from is equally as important? For example, when you are taking a picture with the light in front of the subject, it can be rather boring. But if you have the light coming in from the side or even the back of the subject, it will be a much more interesting and dramatic photograph with the shadows and moodiness.

Tip # 3

A simple tip is to plan your shot before you take it. Is there something interesting in your view that you can include in your shot to make the picture more interesting? Something that helps tell the story of the picture?

That planning of the shot is called composition.

Tip # 4

When you are taking a picture of a landscape, you should focus your shot 1/3 of the way in.

I am not sure why that works but I am giving it a try!

Tip # 5

A great website to check out the best camera reviews and allows you to compare different types of cameras is dpreview.com. I used to wonder where to check out honest consumer reviews. Another great site to look at if you are having a hard time with Photoshop because it is so technical, is Light Room. It is a fast and easy program that allows you to fix your pictures, period.

I know this basic, but that was the idea for this post as the title stated. I hope you have learned at least one tip that might help you take better pictures. As I continue to learn more, I will share it with you also. Good luck!

Do you wish you could take better photos of family and friends, interiors, animals or landscapes? Have you ever taken a class? Any other basic tips you would like to share?

I also suggested white bedding which always look beautiful. I emailed Hannah a few choices of rugs I thought would work with her traditional furniture, the new headboard and wall color. This was the winner!:

I soaked all of my sea glass, pottery, rocks and shells in a bucket of water with about 1/2 cup of bleach:

Then rinsed everything well and laid out to dry in the sun:

Look at some of my cool stuff I found!:

I love using unusual items for accessories and sea glass and is unusual!

I love the look of the frosting on each piece:

But I heard a tip about rubbing them with olive oil to keep them looking wet. I decided to give it a try:

Can you tell the difference? I’m not sure I like the sea glass so shiny without the frosting. What do you think? I tried rubbing oil on these seashells that were so pretty when wet:

What a difference. I think I like the shells better shiny. And I also like the look of the shiny (wet) rocks:

Yes, I do like the wet look for the rocks! You can see so much more detail:

So much fun playing with all this stuff! Have you heard of using oil to keep sea glass shiny? I decided I am not going to shine my sea glass, or pottery of course, but I might gloss up my shells and rocks! What do you think?!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Enjoy the rest of summer- it is going by so fast!

You know those unexpected days when you have such fun and enjoyment you never want it to end?

I had a day like that yesterday! I had such a perfect day at a little island off Boston Harbor Shore:

It was a sunny and beautiful day. I went with my sister-in-law and friend. They are avid sea-glass hunters and know which spots are the best to find sea glass. We had to ride a ferry over to the island which was fun in itself:

I really enjoyed being on my own for the whole day without housework, business, family obligations, computer or phone. I left at 7:00 am and did not return home until 9:00 pm. Doesn’t that sound nice? I do not do this fun stuff often enough! Here are a few pictures to show you how deserted this island was:

And this was the view across the bay:

Boston Skyline:

It was low tide so the sea glass search conditions were perfect.

Can you spy the sea glass in this picture? Hint- it is green:

I was going to sit and read and maybe nap, but searching for cool stuff was too addictive. Here is a little piece of my prize I brought home:

And extra cool, this island was where the movie ‘Shutter Island’ was filmed. Leo. Sigh….:

This island was home to Fort Andrews and active in harbor defense from 1904 to the end of World War II. If you would like to learn more about the history of the island, read here.

I was sorry to see the day end. I was sore and tired and not very good looking:

But I felt amazing. Have you had one of those remarkable days lately? It was quite the adventure and I can not wait for the next one! I will show you all my treasures when they are cleaned up and bathed.

Did you find the sea glass in the above photo? If not, here is a closer shot: